Headlamp light source lighting device and vehicle headlamp lighting system

Active Publication Date: 2012-04-12
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]According to the present invention, since the right and left headlamp light source lighting devices each include the abnormal event informing signal output circuit which outputs the abnormal event informing signal in response to the informing output of the control unit, and the abnormal event informing signal each abnormal event informing signal output circuit outputs is supplied to the onboard equipment via the signal path common to the two devices, the outputs of the abnormal event informing signals of the right and left headlamp light source lighting devices are integrated into a single system. Accordingly, it offers an advantage of being able to simplify a wire harness for transferring the informing signals and the input circuit of the informing signals on the onboard equipment side, and to reduce the amount of components used for the configuration. In addition, reduction in the number of parts can be expected, which contributes to the weight reduction of the vehicle.

Problems solved by technology

In the Patent Document 2, although it outputs a switching signal for lighting the auxiliary light source, it does not arrange the informing system of an abnormal event for the driver into a single system.
In addition, although the Patent Document 3 discloses communication processing with external equipment via a communication control unit provided in the lighting device, it does not describe a signal format for notifying an abnormal event informing device mounted in the vehicle of an abnormal event occurring in one of the right and left headlamp lighting devices of the vehicle in cooperation with the communication operation of the other lighting device.

Method used

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  • Headlamp light source lighting device and vehicle headlamp lighting system
  • Headlamp light source lighting device and vehicle headlamp lighting system
  • Headlamp light source lighting device and vehicle headlamp lighting system

Examples

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embodiment 1

[0027]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle headlamp lighting system using a headlamp light source lighting device of an embodiment 1 in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 1, the vehicle headlamp lighting system 1 of the embodiment 1 comprises light sources 2-1 and 2-2, lighting devices (headlamp light source lighting device) 3-1 and 3-2, an abnormal event informing device 4, a power supply 5 and a power supply switch (power supply SW) 5a. The light source 2-1 (2-2), which is a light source of a vehicle right (left) headlamp, is composed of a discharge lamp such as an HID bulb or semiconductor light-emitting elements such as LEDs. The lighting device 3-1 (3-2) is a device for lighting the light source 2-1 (2-2), and comprises a control circuit (control unit) 6-1 (6-2), which includes a circuit for performing its proper light source lighting control, and a switching element 7-1 (7-2).

[0028]The control circuit 6-1 (6-2) comprises a microcomputer (micro) ...

embodiment 2

[0050]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle headlamp lighting system using a headlamp light source lighting device of an embodiment 2 in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 3, the vehicle headlamp lighting system 1 of the embodiment 2 is basically the same as the foregoing embodiment 1 in the configuration, but differs in the configuration of the abnormal event informing signal output circuit of the lighting device 3-1 (3-2). Accordingly, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the same or like components to those of FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0051]In the lighting device 3-1 (3-2) of the embodiment 2, the switching element 7a-1 (7a-2) of the abnormal event informing signal output circuit consists of a PNP transistor which has its base terminal connected to the informing output terminal of the control circuit 6-1 (6-2) via the resistor R10 (R20), and has its emitter terminal connected to the ...

embodiment 3

[0067]FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle headlamp lighting system using a headlamp light source lighting device of an embodiment 3 in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 5, the same or like components to those of FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The vehicle headlamp lighting system 1 of the embodiment 3 comprises the light sources 2-1 and 2-2, the lighting devices (headlamp light source lighting devices) 3-1 and 3-2, the abnormal event informing device 4, the power supply 5 and the power supply switch (power supply SW) 5a. The lighting device 3-1 (3-2) of the embodiment 3 comprises a decision circuit 11-1 (11-2) and a switching element 13-1 (13-2) in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1.

[0068]The switching element 13-1 (13-2) consists of an NPN transistor that has its base terminal connected to a transmission terminal of the communication signal of the control circuit 6-1 (6-2) via a re...

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Abstract

Right and left lighting devices 3-1 and 3-2 each include an abnormal event informing signal output circuit for outputting an abnormal event informing signal in response to an informing output of the control circuits 6-1 and 6-2. Each abnormal event informing signal output circuit has a circuit configuration that enables the abnormal event informing signal to be supplied to onboard equipment via a signal path common to the two devices.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a headlamp light source lighting device for lighting a headlamp employing as its light source an onboard discharge lamp or a semiconductor light source such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and to a vehicle headlamp lighting system using the same.BACKGROUND ART[0002]As onboard headlamps, instead of conventional halogen lamps, long-life, bright discharge lamps or light sources using LEDs come into wide use. At the same time, high-performance headlamps become widely available which have additional functions such as an AFS (Advance Front lighting System) or DRL (Daytime Running Light). Some of the high-performance headlamps have a function of informing a driver of an abnormal event of a headlamp. As a means for informing a driver of an abnormal event occurring in the vehicle, there is a warning light (alarm lamp) indicating an abnormal event visually or a warning sound (alarm buzzer) indicating an abnormal event aurally.[0003]Patent...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B60Q1/04H05B44/00
CPCH05B33/0884B60Q11/005H05B45/50
InventorOHKURA, SUSUMUOHSAWA, TAKASHI
OwnerMITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP